


Always You

by UnusuallyZealousBurgette



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gryffindor Common Room, M/M, Marauders era of course, Muggle stuff from Lily, Oneshot, Panic! at the Disco - Freeform, Pining, Serenading, Singing, Time travelling Panic! Albums, Vices and Virtues, clueless friends, guitar playing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 21:54:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12241344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnusuallyZealousBurgette/pseuds/UnusuallyZealousBurgette
Summary: Sirius is absolutely obsessed with playing his guitar, and with the amount of time he spends hanging out with Lily and listening to various muggle albums, how could he not find the perfect song to play for Remus?





	Always You

Sharp twangs burst from Sirius’ guitar as his fingers steadily pluck the strings, his other hand twisting the metal pegs at the head with unambiguous precision. The sounds fills the Gryffindor common room in quick intervals, louder than any of the vapid chatter, soon drawing on-watchers as they do whenever he brings out the beloved instrument. It's particularly fourth year girls that anticipate his performances so excitably; Sirius preens at the attention.

“So Sirius,” A big-eyed brunette simpers with a fond teasing to her tone, “What are you going to serenade your loyal fans with tonight?”

Sirius chuckles, smirking at his friends by the fireplace from where he sits off to the right of them. James greedily takes the bait and calls out, “Yeah Padfoot, what are you going to serenade your admirers with?”

“Admirers? What admirers?” Peter says, a confused look on his face, “We're the only ones in the common room.”

Taking a look up from his book- something muggle from Lily, they're always getting stuff from Lily now- Remus surveys the room. It appears his friend is correct. Besides the four of them, a gaggle of fourth-year girls, and study group of their own seventh years in the west corner, the common room is completely empty as it usually is this late at night. Remus shakes his tawny head and buries his nose back in the page.

“It's a new one;” Sirius gesticulates, leering gently, “I don't think I've played it to ‘the public’”

“Oh, they're all the same. It's just going to be another punk rock lament.” Remus whispers. James flicks him in the arm, settling back into the couch with his arms crossed and a look of false entrancement focussed on Sirius. He gestures, ‘Go on’.

Sirius runs a hand through his long, black hair before resettling his guitar on his lap. He clears his throat and sets to strumming, the notes light in a soft, repetitive melody. The low reverberation leads out as he parts his lips and his voice- deep and a bit scratchy- flows easily. 

It's easy to understand why the man’s playing might attract such an audience of young, lovesick girls, still Remus’ always thought it all just a bit… cliché. The whining melodies, the melancholy lyrics, who could fall for that? 

But, as his head snaps up and his ears listen attentively all of that flies out the window. Something about the way the words fall from his lips pulls Remus in, and he can't look away. As he looks from Sirius’ lips to his eyes, he sees the man looking at him too.

“ _When the world gets too heavy_  
_Put it on my back_  
_I will be your levy_  
_You are taking me apart_  
_Like bad glue_  
_On a get well card_

_It was always you_  
_Falling for me_  
_Now there is always time_  
_Calling for me_  
_I am the light blinking at the end of the road_  
_Blink back to let me know_

_That I am skin and bone_  
_Just a king and a rusty throne_  
_Oh, the castle's under siege_  
_But the sign outside says, "Leave me alone"_

_It was always you_  
_Falling for me_  
_Now there is always time_  
_Calling for me_  
_I am the light blinking at the end of the road_  
_Blink back to let me know_  
_Blink back to let me know..._ ” 

Under the twang of the guitar a lulling murmur of ‘It was always you’ pulls the song out to an end, and the last note echoes off the wall-papered walls. Instead of the usual rounds of applause, the fourth-year entourage is as surprisingly silent as all the rest in the room. Sirius pulls a small smile and ducks his head, running his hand through his locks repeatedly.

“Padfoot, where did you learn that song?” James asks, his brows furrowed.

“Lily, actually,” the man explains, “She played it for me just last Wednesday and I couldn't get it out of my head, begged her to lend me the C.D. and stereo.”

James yawns uproariously, letting his arm fall over Peter’s shoulder, “Oh, well that's where I've heard it before. It's much better than that last song you played, think. The one about falling sugar, or something? I could barely understand the lyrics.”

A particularly doughy eyed girl seated right at Sirius’ feet sighs, “I thought it was beautiful. It almost seemed like- like you were singing to someone in particular,” she giggles.

The rest of the girls cry out in agreement. Peter rolls his eyes, leaning into James, “Well I wouldn't go _that_ far. What do you think Moony?”

Upon hearing his question, Remus realizes that there is absolutely nothing on the tip of his tongue; his mouth is completely dry. Remus breaks his gaze from Sirius, his cheeks becoming inflamed at the realization that he'd been staring. There was just something about that song…

“I, uh,” Remus stutters, and turns to Peter and James. The two of them seem completely unaffected, unruffled. Why wouldn't they be? Their _friend_ \- their strictly platonic _friend_ \- just played a song on the guitar. Yes, it was a nice song but it doesn't _mean_ anything. It's a punky ballad, probably written about some girl, that Sirius imagined singing to some girl, not him. Literally anybody but him.

“Well, I- I just thought it was...”

“I don't think Moony liked it,” James says, shrugging a ‘Sorry Sirius’. He wraps his arm further protectively around Peter and pulls him up, completely ignorant to way Sirius stares past the throngs of girls around him to meet Remus’ eyes. “Come along Wormtail, I'm feeling like bed and Moony never likes to sleep early.”

The two head off to boy’s dormitories and, slowly, the fourth-years head off as well, ascending the stairs a wobbly stampede.

Remus lifts his book back up to eye level. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest, all because of that song. That damn song that has his heart racing like a hormonal lover, the words that he _swears_ had to have been written for him, didn't they?

After all they'd been through, after everything Sirius had done for him: every full moon that he’d volunteered to spend with him when the rest of marauders couldn't, all the time and delicacy he put into patching him back up and making him feel safe. Did those glances and friendly touches mean something more?

A weight dips the cushion next to him, and he can feel the body’s warmth, “So what did you really think? Of the song?”

Remus stiffens in his seat, “Well, I mean, it's just a song right?” 

Sirius bites down on his lower lip, a mask of swagger hiding his apprehension, “I hope not.”

When he looks into Remus’ eyes the man can't help but notice a certain vulnerability that wasn't there before. 

Sirius? Vulnerable? Leather-clad, punk-rock, rule-breaker Sirius looks _vulnerable_ , and Remus can't help but notice the weight of the situation. His skin is burning and he can slowly feel his brain turning to mush, his facade slipping.

“Sirius I- I loved it,” Remus dips his head, hiding a blush, “Just don't tell James, he'll never let me live it down.”

A wide smile graces Sirius’ face, “Good. I'm glad.”

For a while they simply stare at eachother, unblinkingly, a comfortably warm silence drawing out between the two under the scratch, scatch, scratching of quills on parchment. With Sirius leaning in intently, the heat of their gaze burns Remus’ eyes until, finally, he blinks back.

**Author's Note:**

> In case anyone was wondering the song that this oneshot is based off of is [Always by Panic! At The Disco. ](https://youtu.be/N7hPAhJGzRA)And I also briefly mentioned[ Sugar We're Goin' Down by Fall Out Boy](https://youtu.be/uhG-vLZrb-g), if you caught it.
> 
> Yes, I know that the year that these albums were released does not concede with the years the marauders spent in Hogwarts and, guess what, I absolutely do not care. :D
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr if you want @Unusuallyzealousburgette.


End file.
